Looking around the internet tonight...man, there are a shit-ton of Michigan "fans" acting like jilted high school girls about this. It's times like this when it's embarrassing being in the same set as Michigan fans and/or sports fans...a lot of us are really emotionally immature and get our sense of self-worth in the wrong place.

Well, I wish him well and if he doesn't want to go here that is his choice. He is a hell of a player and has a good head on his shoulders and will choose what he thinks is best for him. I'm sure he will succeed if he does choose Bama, just not on Sept.1st, 2012.

I blame this decommitment to all the bloggers and fans who do nothing but hate on RR and the Michigan program. The Michigan blogoshpere is crowded with negativity. How can you expect an 18 year old kid, to buy-in to some thing that the so-called fan base doesn't? You are basically expecting him to be more of a man than you are. (by you I mean the haters).

We talk all about being "all in for michigan". That applies to the fans. So support your boys and their coach. And if RR is fired support the next guy too. If not, grab a beer and enjoy some football. Let the decisions be sorted out by the authorities who actually have the power to do something, as opposed to reinforcing this vicious cycle of negativity.

If Brandon were committed to RR, Hart would likely stay. He's an RR guy. But Brandon isn't committed to RR, so Hart isn't committed, either. Can't blame the kid.

DB is in a position to solidify the situation. But he isn't doing so. So it's on him. And it's on RR for putting him in this position. Don't blame the fans and media for creating the "negativity." Obviously, DB doesn't feel positive about RR. It's his call.

As bad as this hurts (if Hart flips), it has taught me (and perhaps many others) an important lesson...

The verbal commitment of an 18-year-old kid is nothing to get excited about. I'm simply done getting all worked up about the comings and goings of fickle recruits.

Until a player is wearing a winged helmet, he's just another player to me. And while Hart would be a great asset to the team, he is not yet a member of the team. Therefore, I will not cry for Dee Hart.

Orlando (Fla.) Dr. Phillips running back Demetrius Hart committed to Michigan over Alabama and Auburn in October. Now there are rumors that the nation's No. 17 ranked prospect may be having second thoughts.

TheWolverine.com has learned that several sources close to Hart are saying the 5-8, 190-pound back plans to rescind is pledge from Michigan and will make a verbal commitment to Alabama on Friday. Hart himself has been unavailable for comment.

Hart was Michigan's highest ranked recruit in the 2011 class. He took his official visit to Michigan for the Wolverines' home game against UConn in September and followed that trip with visits to Alabama and Auburn before committing to the Wolverines following a home game on Oct. 8.

Michigan does have a commitment from Grand Blanc (Mich.) running back Justice Hayes, the nation's No. 84 ranked prospect and the No. 3 all-purpose back.

Still sucks, I agree that if DB would stand behind RR then stuff like this wouldnt happen. Makes me wonder if the decision has already been made....

If Hart does decommit I will blame DB entirely! Is he decommits it's most likely due to the uncertainty of coaching next year, and if DB would have just said wtf is going on he may not have changed his mind. (if he does)

Come on, do you think DB knows what's going on and is just not telling us? I love how whenever the AD doesn't do what people want, they think he's incompetent. Remember when Bill Martin supposedly "blew" the Les Miles hiring? Everyone was so pissed about that. A lot of those same people were just fine with how that turned out.

Maybe DB isn't an idiot and knows what he's doing. Maybe he has a plan that we don't know about. Or maybe he thinks the future of the program isn't a decision he should rush, especially for the sake of one recruit.

A month ago DB was a golden God. Let's give him the benefit on the doubt on this one and just wait and see what happens.

Maybe Brandon has a plan (i.e. a deal in the works with JH), maybe he does not, but either way he has clearly taken a calculated risk with this year's recruiting class.

At the end of the day, if Brandon decides to change coaches then there may be the argument that the bleeding now was worth it for the greater good down the road.

If, on the other hand, he is going to give RR a vote of confidence, he's done the Michigan program no favors by setting (or agreeing to) this timetable. Bleeding RR system guys, and highly regarded ones at that, and then going back with RR is the worst possible scenario here.

By him not announcing his intentions he is clearly hurting the program.

If Harbaugh asked that he not announce it, Brandon needs to tell him that he's got no choice. He either needs be the coach at Michigan or Stanford. You cant please everyone. If he's coming here he needs to do whats best for Michigan.

What if Dee comes out and says that he wasn't feeling the love since we accepted a commitment from Hayes and were pursuing Rawls also. Is DB in football offices tell RR to continue recruiting running backs?

We potentially lose one recruit out of ~20, have a returning Heisman candidate and a stable of running backs, etc. etc. and you think DB is going to adjust his timeline based on that?

That's like me, as the CEO of a firm, deciding to change my evaluation of one of my managers because a potentially strong hire in his/her department had a more attractive offer from somewhere else. He/she already landed a solid group of individuals, and on occasion you'll get attrition due to circumstances beyond your control.

DB should neva EVAH adjust his approach to managing an $xx million department budget solely for impressing one potential student-athlete that didn't even sign an LOI in the first place.

Took well over 300 posts, but all we've been hearing is people will leave because they don't fit Harbaugh's pro style system. So Dee may be leaving for....Saban's even more conservative pro style system. Not that it would be a bad choice. A running back did just win the Heisman in it. But the notion that all of our players and recruits only see themselves in Rich's spread, well....

This is what I do. I worry about the team. Too much, I know. Some people are like my wife and watch the games, hope they win, and move on. Some people care more than that. And some people are like me. I know some of you are like me. I never even knew that there were others that cared as much as me until I found this blog.... Many, many things that come up on here will turn out to be things that I should not have worried about, but telling me I'm being ridiculous at the one place I can feel comfortable in my obsession, just frustrates me!

........on this, if it's even true. We do have plenty of RBs in the stable. Shaw and Vincent have shown flashes of greatness at times, and Hopkins is simply a beast for short yardage. Fitz healthy is something I am waiting to see, as he could be the game-changer at RB the offense has needed. We have Hayes committed right now, and we are looking at a couple of others.

On the flip side, Hart has been absolutely stunning as a RB prospect this season and one could see him in this offense as a bigger impact than James is at Oregon, so losing him would hurt in that respect.

In the end, what I want most from the recruits now and throughout their entire journey as UM players is to be all in for UM. Nothing less will satisfy. If Hart goes to Bama, good luck to him. If he stays true to us, then welcome into the fold.

When have you seen Smith or Shaw flash greatness? They're both way to inconsistent to be great. We have hardly had a running game with the RB all season! Maybe the reason Denard keeps it almost all the time on the read option is because he has a better chance of doing something with it.

........the phrase I used means? At times, both have shown the ability to be bigtime gainers in yards. Yes, it wasn't very consistent, but that is why I stated that they showed "flashes". If they were consistent in their play at RB, I would have stated so. There were some drives, particularly later in the season, where Smith gained quite a few yards, sometimes on bigtime runs. For Shaw, it was earlier in the season.

Dee's Mom has been the most straight thinking person in any recruitment I can recall. She seems to know what is important and beneficial for Dee's future. Assuming she retains the voice and influence she has had up to this point, if he does in fact de-commit, I retain respect for her and hope the best for her son. That being said, Mother Hart...there is nothing better than an experience playing football for Michigan and earning a University of Michigan degree! Good luck in any future endeavors.

reading this blog, but you clearly have no idea what it is about. I have read many opinions that I have disagreed with, but your approach is pathetic. You seem to have the emotional maturity of a badly parented child. Please find another outlet for your negativity and immaturity.

If we lose a commit due to the fact that DB hasn't made a decision at this point then Rich Rod better be fired. That's not fair to RR to lose a recruit due to the fact that DB doesn't know what he is doing.

Stuart, all the ban talk below is not directed at you, but at the response that used to be just below yours, which user is no longer with us. When somebody gets banned we auto-delete all of their posts dating back to forever (and put a wolverine in under their computer desks -- ah the wonders of the Internet) and the result is the replies to his comments all move up.

You are a fucking douche bag. I dont give a shit if you dont like Coach Rodriguez and think he should be replaced. Say what you want about his record here but Coach Rodriguez has proved time and again that he is a good man with compassion for people and love of his players. I am sure the Mealer family would disagree with your use of the term "Dickrod," as would the Bills family.

As some have here noted, this board has completely melted down over a rumor which, if it comes to pass, is definitely a big, big BUMMER, but it's not the end o' the world and it certainly wouldn't be the end of UM Football, regardless if Rich or whoever else may be our head man next year.

That said, I have been terribly excited about Dee Hart going BLUE and, again regardless of who the head coach will be in 2011 and going forward, I really hope this works out for us in the end, i.e. Dee remaining BLUE or returning to the BLUE by February 2nd. But, I'm taking a wait-and-see approach, on this and on everything else.

In the meantime, it simply ain't worth the angst to behave as if the ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE is upon us - though admittedly it may sometimes be fun to do so - even where we may in some places be reverting to cannibalism in the BLUE UNIVERSE. Be well, brothers and sisters, one way or another the light will eventually return to A2.

OK, I just spent some time over at GBW and read what Tom B. had to share about the banquet tonight, including what I take as some positive comments about what Rich had to say and how he said it, as well as noting that UM is getting "killed" on the recruiting trail right now. So, while I'm taking that "wait and see" approach, I do fully support bringing Rich back (I think very highly of him, in fact) and my "lean" is that I am not overly fond of the way Dave Brandon is handling this situation, though I do respect him a great deal, as well, and assume he has a plan that he is following. That said, if I'm going to throw conjecture out there, the way this is playing out in the early stages it seems to me that one potentially reasonable conclusion - as others here have also suggested - is that DB does have a plan and that the plan may already be set in place and is merely waiting not only the conclusion of our bowl game but the bowl season as well (i.e. That the next head coach has been identified and, going forward, the dominos are lined up to fall when as the bowl season progresses and concludes, with everything being kept close to the vest in the meantime). So, if anything like this does happen, while I can do nothing but support and remain a fan of UM Football regardless of the outcome, I'll be disappointed in the way our university and fan base treated Rich while he was with us...

Its not that Hart may de-committ, its the clusterfuck that has become Michigan Football. This is a program wide clusterfuck. Its not just RR, DB, or any one person. I think most of the blame for this lies squarely on the shoulders of David Brandon. He has all the power to end the speculation but doesn't. You can not leave a coach hanging in the wind for over a month and expect recruits to stick around.

To those who think players come to a program for the program and not for the coach you are delusional. Players committ to coaches who will give them the best opportunity mature as a person and football player. If you think they committ to a program then lets hire some asshat off the street and let the program sell itself.

This is probably just the tip of the iceberg as far as decommitts are concerned. This could get ugly.

Not too smart, are you? Surely Harbaugh would say he will not abandon his team, and coach his bowl game. So Brandon cannot come out and say now... " We are hiring Jim Harbaugh, but AFTER his bowl game." And that puts Brandon in a tough spot, doesn't it? This isn't Brandon's fault.

@ clisimm, we all know you can't predict scout, rivals, espn rankings etc, but when a kid has 46 touchdowns in one season, 2,700 yards and can receive, return, run while playing in one of the most talented states if not the most. He might win national high school player of the year at the army bowl, i believe the hype surrounding Dee and would be very sad if we lose him because he will bring a brand of RB that we haven't seen in RR system yet.

He's not a commit u retard, it only has his final college choices listed as Alabama.. It doesn't say he is committed to them at all.. Not on their page with committed players, or on his personal page.. It only lists Bama as his only college choice ...

Dee is the recruit I am (was) most looking forward to. I remember the night before the Michigan State game trying to log into our beloved blog but I kept getting an error because so many people were trying to get the announcement. This is a bummer but it is not what happens to you but how you handle what happens to you.

I am getting VERY pissed with this process. I admit I like the way DB handled the NCAA investigation, but this process is making me very sour on him very quickly. We are dealing will kids lives.. You cannot run a place of higher education like a fortune 500 company. It is almost like people are trying to sabotage RR.. Fans complain that RR class does not look that well, well this is the reason.. He is not only trying to sell michigan, he has to assure parents that he will be there for the entire 4 years.. Totally not fair.

I HATE HATE HATE putting any stock in high school players. I mean, seriously. I'm sure Hart's a good player, but life will go on if he goes elsewhere.

You know what would really help this team?

Putting a hurt on either Florida in the Gator Bowl or a 10-2 Big-12 Team in the Insight. Let's worry about that. And I don't buy that the Bowl means nothing for Rich or Brandon. We're going to have a great chance to beat some quality teams/programs (even if Florida's down, it would continue our SEC dominance and help recruiting in the SE).

I agree with what you are saying.. but they are starting to add up. I seriously think that our team being young will actually hurt us if RR is fired. These guys can leave and still have a couple of years to play elsewhere. I know they say the "love it here" but seriously what would they say? I hate my teammates and I hate the University, but I love the coach!" I seriously think we are on the brink of something terrible if RR is fired. I am usually a "glass half full" kind of guy, but I think this mess is going to turn out bad.. I think we are going to replace RR, Harbaugh will take over, have a couple of losing seasons and bolt to the NFL similar to Pete Carrol.. just I feeling I have.

I implore you, MGoCommunity, please please please do not leave messages on the kid's Facebook, Twitter, or anything else about this. I'm sure he had his reasons for switching and while it's catastrophic for our recruiting class it's ultimately his decision and we need to respect that.

Firing DickROD ASAP is whats best for the program, and no amount of neg rep is going to change that, although it might make you feel better.......

It's not going to happen ASAP, I'm pretty sure what with all of the CC posts that DB has said nothing will be decided until after the season is over. What you don't get, whatever happens is going to happen and people on this board will deal with it accordingly. Now go away!

We have a good team loaded with young talent, good coaches (good coaching options also), and intelligent administrators. Michigan is going to be just fine although none of us know the path we'll take. Sit back, watch it happen, and enjoy it. Michigan football is about the players and our obsession is a by-product. Not the other way around.

I think that this may be the straw that breaks the camel's back when it comes to me paying attention to recruiting, coaching searches, etc. Why waste time thinking about how epic a Dee/Denard offensive backfield could be when we may never see the kid get to campus? I am sure that someone as talented as Dee will have a good career at Alabama in a couple of years when he becomes their go-to guy, but he could have been part of a legendary offense at Michigan starting next year.

Firing RR would undermine the two areas of the team in which he has actually seen some success - recruiting during down years and developing a potent offense. Ironically, it is those who seek a true "Michigan Man" that might be willing to bring the team back to square one to get him. Clearly some recruits are already treating RR as gone, whether or not that will truly be the case. The uncertainty is pissing away a lot of goodwill that was aready established, and will prevent more from being developed during the next month. I hope it ends up being worth it.

are with the defense. Losing a recruit of that stature stinks no matter what postion they play. However, I'd rather UM lose its best offensive recruit than even a mediocre defensive recruit at this point (if I had to choose).

Everyone here is certainly entitled to their own opinion but the complete waster of space that people are typing on here is maddening at least to those of us with the mind to think about things before spewing a bunch of crap from our mouths. I have personally decided that Rich Rod should stay on the grounds that he has improved and has just finished implementing his offense fully plus his first full cycle of recruits would end the year after next. Give him next year at least.

Look at the freaking offense! We "could" score at will, barring personal fouls, dropped passes, or poor timing. We're literally a step away from becoming what Oregon is. I think that is an accomplishment in itself.

Another point is Denard. Rod's staff helped him from his horrifying freshman year to a Heisman candidate. Look at how much better he is at running the offense. No denying that one.

Finally, the defense. Yes, he forced the installation of a 3-3-5. Yes, he didn't bring in stellar defensive recruits, other than Demens. But with even a small improvement next year, we have a solid chance to go 9 or more wins with a more experienced corp of DB's.

This is very disappointing. All because of the coaching limbo and not acting now. Damn it I don't care who the coach is! If you want Harbaugh...then get him and tell him its now or never. If he doesn't want to come right now or RR's your guy...then lets get it done. Dee could just be the start if we just keep waiting around doing nothing! Especially if he decides to keep Rich...what is this accomplishing?

This entire entire situation is so sickening to me..... It has been less than a week. LESS THAN A WEEK since a veteran Ohio State team playing at home beat a young average beat up Michigan team. Anyone who was surprised by that result is not a true fan. Same should be said for Wisconsin. I was at every home game as well as down in cbus last Saturday. If you think Rodriguez should go thats perfectly acceptable but you people have absolutely no reason to be publicly negative about anything connected to the program. you accomplish nothing. Dave Brandon does not care what you have to say. You do not know what goes on behind the scenes. none of us are informed enough to make a rational opinion in regards to who should be coach. I have never been so disillusioned with the Michigan fan base. I couldnt believe when I heard boos at the end of the first half against wisconsin. These are 18-22 yr old kids. People have no right. If Im a high profile recruit, why would I want to come play at a place where there are boos and so much negativity. Now we've lost the highest touted runningback recruit we've had in a decade if not longer, and anyone who has watched tape on this kid knows he is absolutely electric. I feel sorry for the players. They played hard all year kept good attitudes and all this negativity has to be demoralizing. Stay positive people.

Oh well if Dee leaves there's always next year to get a top back! We have quite a few good backs on the team. I was excited thinking about next season having Robinson and Hart. Who knows, may be he will change his mind again and sign with UM? Who ever is the coach, I hope they make an attempt to pry him back. I wonder if Nick went out to his HS and spent the day.

I understand leaving U of M because of coaching instability, I don't understand going to play for a scumbag even if it is a top program. There are other quality programs that are more ethical than Saban's.

This will hurt but in the end its 1 Recruit on a loaded offensive biased team. Unfortunately it seems he got too high profile and couldnt resist the immediate gratification of playing on a NC contender/ Top 10 team. Which our fandom aside, wouldnt you want to tell all the ladies your going to X school and they are ranked.

Its just a double kick in the balls considering DB needs to sh*t or get off the pot @ this point. I dont see whats wrong in saying I am behind my coach and there will be no coaching change this year.

The more I think about it I think Dave Brandon is going to fire Rich Rod on January 1st, 2011. I think the bowl game is irrelevant in regards to RR's status. Why would Dave Brandon wait to make a decision? It has to be about saving UM $1.5M!

If DB already knows that he is planning to keep RR he would have said so now. I mean why not just say it now so the recruits and team can have peace of mind? Why jeopardize a whole recruiting class by scaring existing recruits and upcoming visitors as well give little time for the new coach to recruit?

DB clearly has no sense of timing....most coaches that are fired are fired as soon as possible so as to give the new coach a chance to solidify a recruiting class before it is too late. Personally, I think it would be a big mistake to fire RR and thus put the program into further turmoil. Let RR see out the remainder of his contract and then decide if he merits an extension or firing. Firing him in January would also make any new potential Head Coach candidate think twice about coming to Um given the turmoil it may cause and that he will have to turn the program around by his 3rd year...heck probably even his 2nd year given the impatience of UM fans and the media.